How to get a leopard eating grass and weeds

richybear

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Hi I have 2 leopard tortoises aged 5 and 6 just wanted some advice on how to get them off veggies on to grass weeds and hay . thanks in advance for any help
 

Tom

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Slowly and little by little. Here is what I mean: Tortoises are creatures of habit. They don't necessarily recognize new and novel foods as food. Start by getting some of their favorite food and mince it up super fine. Then mince up a super small amount of the new food. Less then 5% by volume for the new food. Mix it all together and put it in their food bowl. They may smell the new stuff and decide they can wait until tomorrow to eat when their food doesn't smell so funny. Keep doing the same ratio and same mix until they begin to eat it with their usual gusto, and then gradually up the ratio of new to old. Once you have gone through this process a few times, and they start to get used to a wider variety of foods, it usually goes quicker with each new food. You must be patient and realize they will not starve to death even if they eat nothing for two weeks.

I would skip the hay. Few leopards will just walk up and start eating dry hay. That is more of an adult sulcata kind of thing.
 

richybear

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Thanks tom that's great advice I will go for it . they have been spoiled far to long
 

Levi the Leopard

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I mix grass clippings into moist Mazuri. The Leopards are fed this once-few times a week from the time I get them.
Even brand new hatchlings eat the grass this way.

But, only 1 of my juvenile Leopards actually eats grass on his own. He happily grazes on the lawn in his pen while the others prefer the broad leaf weeds and other plants.
 

dar64

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Tom said:
If we wet the hay will they eat it mixed in with their food ? I think mine did when I did that.


Slowly and little by little. Here is what I mean: Tortoises are creatures of habit. They don't necessarily recognize new and novel foods as food. Start by getting some of their favorite food and mince it up super fine. Then mince up a super small amount of the new food. Less then 5% by volume for the new food. Mix it all together and put it in their food bowl. They may smell the new stuff and decide they can wait until tomorrow to eat when their food doesn't smell so funny. Keep doing the same ratio and same mix until they begin to eat it with their usual gusto, and then gradually up the ratio of new to old. Once you have gone through this process a few times, and they start to get used to a wider variety of foods, it usually goes quicker with each new food. You must be patient and realize they will not starve to death even if they eat nothing for two weeks.

I would skip the hay. Few leopards will just walk up and start eating dry hay. That is more of an adult sulcata kind of thing.
 

richybear

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Thanks every1 I will keep trying . Audrey just smells it and then moves away and Seymour just isn't interested lol
 

Tom

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Feed them a fresh batch of the same stuff several days in a row now. Only use a tiny amount of the new stuff. Let them choose to go hungry if they wish.
 

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